Day: November 7, 2016

As the world awaits the election of a US President, it’s important to consider what awaits us more broadly in the coming year.

Even before the election result is known, 2016 has so far been remarkable for its many seismic events, be they literal earthquakes, political shifts, storms, and technological changes. Citizen patience has been stretched, and organizational resilience has often reached or exceeded its limits, testing the skills and tenacity of leaders and communicators alike.

No one knows what 2017 will bring.

But we know it is coming.

And we know that there can be some advantage to be gained by preparing for it–especially for the leaders and communicators who will be called on to help make sense of it all, inject some confidence into the situation, and help guide people to move forward in the face of whatever comes.

With the sponsorship of IABC EMENA, Changing The Terms is hosting a one-day “open space“ conference looking at the topic “Creating and Communicating the World in 2017.” The event will use the “open space” format, meaning that all in attendance can participate, and any participant can choose to speak or lead a breakout session.

In adopting this format, we are attempting to “change the terms” of conferences–by shifting the role of someone in attendance from “consumer” to “participant,” to make the best use of the content that is already in the room, and encourage and accelerate the formation of active connections between participants.

Participants from Belgium, Denmark, France, Holland and the UK are already registered. The event takes place from 11AM to 6PM to allow participants from Europe to travel, participate and return home on the same day. We are aiming for 40-60 participants and some seats are still available.

We won’t come up with all the answers. But we will raise some questions. And by bringing leaders and communicators together in the heart of Europe, we will stimulate some new conversations and new connections.